NOTICIAS

Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) spoke during a Senate Committee on Foreign Relations hearing on the nominations for U.S. ambassadorships to Germany, India, and Pakistan. During the hearing, he pressed Dr. Amy Gutmann, President Joe Biden’s nominee to serve as U.S. Ambassador to Germany, to outline her plans to urge Germany to combat the Chinese Communist Party’s malign influence campaign. Video of Rubio’s remarks can be found here and a full transcript is below.
 
Rubio is a senior member of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations.

Rubio: “Ms. Gutmann, I know Senator Risch has already asked about the money the Chinese entities gave to the [University of Pennsylvania]…
 
“I wanted to ask you more specifically about China and Germany. Germany is China’s largest European trading partner and, since 2017, I think China has been Germany’s largest trading partner. And it’s concerning because while other governments have been more forward leaning, for example, on a diplomatic boycott of the Olympics and speaking out about the genocide of the Uyghurs, Germany is obviously more resistant. And I think the commercial links explain why. 
 
“What is, generally, your assessment of how the Germans view China on a global scale, and what are your plans or thoughts about getting them to become more engaged?”
 
Gutmann: “Thank you for that very important question, Senator. 
 
“My sense is that there has been a balancing in the German government between its important economic ties with China and its concerns for human rights and democracy and the threats thereof.
 
“If confirmed, I would lean in on this to emphasize our government’s position and our society’s position that the ongoing genocide in [the] Xinjiang province against the Uyghurs, the threats to fair market practices, cyber security threats — and I could go on and on and will, if confirmed with the German government — [that] pose economic, as well as security threats to Germany, to Europe, to the free world and of course, to the United States.
 
“I see this as an opportunity with the new government, that there is an opening to help build and reset Germany’s position. I will very much urge Germany in concert with this committee to join us in boycotting the Olympics, to stand down and speak up against Chinese practices in alliance. It will be to the betterment of German security and most important to me, if confirmed, to the interests and the values of the United States.” 
 
Rubio: “Thank you, Chairman.”